Author: Ashley Jones
“Out Of The Darkness” suicide awareness walk happening Nov. 6 at Ditto Landing
WHNT – POSTED 10:47 PM, OCTOBER 30, 2016, BY CAITLAN DALLAS, UPDATED AT 08:41AM, OCTOBER 31, 2016
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Suicide is something that affects so many of us, but often times there is a stigma associated with it. One organization is hoping break that stigma and spread awareness this upcoming weekend on November 6th.
Kari Kingsley is the chairperson for the walk, held in connection with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. For her, suicide prevention is a cause that hits close to home after losing her brother four years ago. She said she wishes she knew more about suicide before her brother passed.
“Our family didn’t have a lot of information on suicide prevention, coping, that kind of thing, so you know our hope with this is that we can raise awareness, and have people have more education, know that there is support out there,” she said.
All of the money raised goes to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, but sometimes they don’t get the same support as other non-profits.
“Suicide has a huge stigma associated with it, sometimes we’ll approach different groups and tell them the name of our group, the American foundation for suicide prevention and you’ll see them kind of take a step back,” said Kingsley.
It’s their hope that with the Out of the Darkness walk they can help bring people into the light, and let them know they do have other options.
“It’s a hard topic to talk about so the Out of Darkness walks are trying to break that stigma,” said Kingsley.
The money raised from the walk goes to the foundation to help pay for peer support, physicians, and educational programs.
The Out of the Darkness Walk will be Sunday, November 6 at Ditto Landing Marina. Last year the walk raised $15,000 and they’re hoping to beat that amount this year with a big turnout. You can register for the North Alabama walk here, or register on the day of the walk starting at 2:30 p.m.
Madison County Deputies Enroll in Mental Health First Aid Class
WellStone Behavioral Health will be providing Mental Health First Aid classes to Madison County Sheriff Deputies throughout the month of October.
The MHFA syllabus points out that those with mental illness and substance abuse disorders “interact more often with the criminal justice system than the general population. Thus, the better prepared officers and staff are to respond effectively and appropriately, the more likely the interaction will be a positive one.”
Read more about Madison County efforts to improve deputies’ knowledge on responding to those with mental illness: http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2016/08/madison_county_takes_aggressiv.html
If you are interested in taking the Mental Health First Aid course, sign up here: Register for Mental Health First Aid
September is National Recovery Month
Don’t miss out on these great opportunities to celebrate National Recovery Month with WellStone!
1st Annual Scott Morgan Memorial Bass Tournament
On Saturday, August 20th, WellStone was honored to be included in the 1st Annual Scott Morgan Memorial Bass Tournament. The tournament was organized by Daniel Douglas, a lifelong friend of Scott’s, to celebrate the life of a special young man and to raise awareness and support for those who face the challenges of depression. The Morgan family, Ernie, Wanda and Jason, have also generously supported these efforts to connect others experiencing depression with help through WellStone.
The tournament had great participation from several fishing teams and received generous sponsorships from League Engineering and Surveying, LLC and Refuge Church. Jordan Lee and Wes Ward took first place in the tournament and earned the Big Fish award. The anglers earning a payout from the tournament generously donated their winnings to WellStone in honor of Scott. All those participating also generously donated their entry fees to support treatment for those experiencing depression and other mental health disorders, which resulted in over $1,000 being raised for treatment through WellStone! Brian Davis, CEO, spoke to the tournament participants about the importance of educating ourselves and others about depression and how to get help. Daniel Douglas presented the Morgan family with a commemorative plaque to mark the beginning of many tournaments to come.
Thank you to the Morgan and Douglas families, as well as all tournament participants, for being champions for mental health!
Jordan Lee and Wes Ward, First Place and Biggest Fish
1st Annual Scott Morgan Memorial Bass Tournament
WellStone is honored to be a part of a special event Saturday, August 20, 2016. If you would like to join us, click on the link below to find out the details! You can also contact Ashley Jones, Communications Director at ashley.jones@wellstone.com for more information.
1st Annual Scott Morgan Memorial Bass Tournament
ADMH Commissioner’s Town Hall a Success
On Thursday evening August 4th, WellStone Behavioral Health hosted a Town Hall discussion with the Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Mental Health, Mr. Jim Perdue. With 75 people in attendance, Commissioner Perdue outlined his priorities for the immediate future of the public mental health system in Alabama. These priorities focused on improving care while saving the state money, and included better engagement of community stakeholders, utilizing community behavioral health centers to treat people in jails and prisons who have a mental illness and/or substance use disorder, and expanding services to those with autism. Commissioner Perdue also mentioned the long-term possibility of moving the central office of ADMH from Montgomery to Tuscaloosa as a way of streamlining expenses and converting property owned by ADMH into new treatment resources for our state’s most vulnerable citizens. Audience members included consumers of mental health services, family members, hospital and Regional Care Organization representatives, provider agencies, the National Alliance for Mental Illness, law enforcement, the Huntsville Mayor’s office, and the Madison County Probate Judge’s office. Discussion from the audience touched on the need to invest in peer-led services, expand Medicaid eligibility for Alabama citizens, increase mental health training for law enforcement personnel, and provide better support for the families of those with mental illness. Commissioner Perdue is holding similar Town Hall forums across the state in order to inform citizens of the needs of the mental health system and ask their assistance in contacting local legislators to emphasize the importance of adequate funding for mental health services.
ADMH Commissioner to Visit WellStone
On Thursday, August 4, 2016, Alabama Department of Mental Health Commissioner, James Perdue, will be visiting the Madison County community to discuss mental health services in Alabama during a special Town Hall event on the WellStone Campus (Directions to WellStone). The event begins at 5:30 pm in the WellStone Community Room and is open to the public. No RSVP required.
For more information about the Town Hall and ADMH Commissioner’s visit, please contact Ashley Jones, Communications Director at ashley.jones@wellstone.com.
WellStone Teams Up with WAAY 31 News
On Friday, July 22, 2016, WellStone will be teaming up with WAAY 31 News to host the 2nd Mental Health Maze Hotline. WellStone counselors will be available to answer questions about mental health or substance abuse issues. To participate, individuals may call the hotline at 256.533.8609 anytime between 6 am and 6 pm. Please feel free to share this information with everyone you know!
Nova Center Awarded 2016-2017 CHI Funding
The Nova Center for Youth & Family, the child and adolescent division of WellStone Behavioral Health, was announced as a 2016-2017 recipient of a Community Health Initiative grant through the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. The most recent CHI award is for $90,000 and will enable the Nova Center to provide school-based mental health services to an additional 8 schools in the 2016-2017 academic year. The funds will be used to further the partnership between the Nova Center and the Huntsville City, Madison City, and Madison County School Systems.
Through their school-based mental health program, the Nova Center deploys 24 counselors to work as on-site integrated team members of 48 local elementary, middle, and high schools and now serves over 1,200 children with on-site school-based mental health services. Initially funded in 1996, the child and adolescent division of WellStone Behavioral Health has now received funding for 14 years from the Community Health Initiative for a combined total of $827,000. It is with deep gratitude that all supporters of the Nova Center and WellStone Behavioral Health say thank you to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation and the Community Health Initiative committee.
To learn more about the Huntsville Hospital Foundation and the Community Health Initiative, follow this link: http://www.huntsvillehospital.org/community-events/community-health-initiative
